The beautifully designed Fujifilm FinePix Z1 digital camera is a bull's eye as far as I'm concerned. The finishing of the complete metal housing is just right. Beautifully curved bodylines and a marvellous finishing touch of the large metal surfaces. Striking is the fact that this camera doesn't collect fingerprints, which is usually the case with modern digital cameras. The Fujifilm Z1 remains to have the same classy appearance, even after a day of severe photographing. During PMA 2005 in Orlando USA, I already ran into this new FinePix model, in deep black as well as in brushed silver. Personally I find the black finishing the most attractive. The first official samples for the Dutch market are only just beginning to trickle in.

Fujifilm FinePix Z1 - Design
The Fujifilm FinePix Z1 is everything but traditional. The design is grand, the finishing extremely beautiful and the technique contains the latest innovations from Fujifilm. The design is neat and classy. The camera feels solid and certainly doesn't give you a cheap feeling. Sliding the front panel of the camera aside activates the camera. The Fujifilm FinePix Z1 is almost immediately ready for use. It only takes 0.6 second. The 3x optical zoom remains hidden and can only be heard slightly when using the zoom button on the rear of the camera. The front doesn't lose its neat appearance when the front panel is slid away. On the right side of the camera the lens is visible with behind it the internal optical zoom. In the centre, on top, the internal flash is situated, with next to it a light that lights up brightly to indicate the self timer. Other than that we see nothing else but a metal black front panel with a beautifully finished aluminium coloured edge.

Fujifilm FinePix Z1 - Top side of the camera
This brings us to the topside of the camera, where we find simplicity. A small button to switch between photo and video mode, next to it the pleasantly reacting release button, and more to the left the built-in microphone. The top side has the same colouring as the front, with a black surface and an aluminium coloured edge. If we take a look at the side of the camera we see the spot for the carrier strap and on the other side we find a neatly hidden speaker. Turning the camera around we see the rear of the Fujifilm FinePix Z1 digital camera. And I bet you already guessed: simplicity once more. There is room for a small interface which enables putting the camera into a docking station and slightly more towards the corner we discover the battery and memory card compartment. The cover is solid and nicely tucked away inside the housing. The small cover bursts open immediately when opening it, where after the memory card and the Li-ion battery luckily enough stay in their place. The only thing lacking here is a tripod connection, but personally I don't find that disturbing. But for those who had a combination of mini tripod and Fujifilm Z1 in mind; unfortunately that won't be possible.

Fujifilm FinePix Z1 - Rear side of the camera
After exploring almost all sides of the camera we end up at the back of the camera where we find the control centre of the FujiFilm FinePix Z1. Eye catcher is the huge 2.5 inch LCD monitor. The optical viewfinder has been abandoned from the camera, but on a camera like the Fujifilm Z1 it would only take up space and be in the way, rather than being a useful tool. We seem to have left the times of badly operating displays behind us, certainly when we take a look at the quality of the large sized screen on the Fujifilm Z1. We can only cheer! The larger the size of the monitor the more chance on scratching it thought. But Fujifilm equipped the monitor with a special coating to protect the monitor to the utmost. It protects up to 35x more than previous models. The disadvantage of an LCD monitor could be the inability to work with it when insufficient light and one would have to fall back onto the viewer. However, Fujifilm has built in an innovative function to improve the quality and the brightness of the monitor. The refreshing speed of the monitor is automatically adjusted depending on the brightness of the situation. On the right side of the monitor, the small but easy to operate zoom buttons are placed, and underneath some three small indicator lights. Furthermore we find three buttons on the back and a striking multi functional button with which functions are directly accessible and to navigate through the menu.

Fujifilm FinePix Z1 - A jewel amongst digital cameras
The design of the Fujifilm FinePix Z1 will either appeal to you or you won't like it at all. I think Fujifilm's design department did an exceptionally fine job. A beautiful finishing touch, without forgetting the battery cover, high quality material, user-friendly presentation of the buttons, in short, a jewel amongst digital cameras!